How one 'Game of Thrones' episode managed to smoke the competition at the Emmys

The cast and crew of "Game
of Thrones" accept the biggest award of the 67th Emmy Awards for
outstanding drama series.Kevin
Winter/Getty Images

"Game of Thrones" dominated Sunday's Emmys, taking home a
record-breaking total of 12 awards. The focus of the series'
success was the finale episode, "Mother's Mercy," which won three
Emmys for writing, directing, and non-prosthetic makeup.

"Mother's Mercy" has been breaking records since its air
date on June 14th. More than
8 million live viewers tuned in for the episode,
making the season five finale the most-watched episode
of the entire series.

So what made "Mother's Mercy" so compelling for both viewers
and critics?

The episode included everything "Game of Thrones" is known
for — violence, major character deaths, nudity, and some of the
biggest cliffhangers to date.

Warning: There are major spoilers ahead for
"Game of Thrones."

Right away, "Mother's Mercy" established a bleak but
emotional tone. The episode opened with Melisandre and Stannis in
the North. Stannis learns that many of his troops have deserted
him overnight, and his wife Selyse has hanged
herself. Melisandre was convinced that burning Shireen,
Stannis' young daughter, alive would bring good fortune. It
clearly had the opposite effect.

Stannis stubbornly goes out to fight with his remaining troops
despite the tragic news. Melisandre abandons Stannis, riding up
to The Wall. Stannis' army is slaughtered easily by the Boltons —
but everything happens off screen. The scene cuts to Stannis
himself as he's seemingly killed by Brienne of Tarth, who vowed
back in season two to avenge Renly Baratheon by taking Stannis'
life.

Helen Sloan/HBO

This battle and the death of Stannis were brand new to all
viewers — both scenes have not taken place in the written series
yet. The fresh but brutal content was jaw-dropping to say the
least, even if a majority of the action was skipped over.

Sansa Stark was subjected to horror in season five. She was
married to Ramsay Bolton, who raped her on their wedding
night. Then she discovered Theon, who had been transformed into
the obedient "Reek," a servant to her new husband. But Sansa was
determined to break free from the walls of Winterfell, and
"Mother's Mercy" finally gave her an escape. In her final scene,
Sansa takes Theon's hand and leaps from the castle walls into a
snowbank below.

Arya's scene in "Mother's Mercy" was even more violent than the
slaughter of Stannis' troops. Not shying away from the blood,
this scene showed young Arya stabbing an abusive pedophile named
Meryn Trant before slowly cutting his throat. This segment
brought Arya's storyline into a new level of darkness. Her
previous murders have been relatively spontaneous and in
self-defense. Meryn Trant's death was the result of calculated
planning. Arya was punished for her actions by Jaqen H'ghar, who
makes her go blind. Her scenes fades to black as she cries out in
confusion.

Helen
Sloan/HBO

Fans experienced a similar level of confusion, since it was
unclear whether the blinding was permanent or not. But the moment
was spooky and captivating nonetheless.

After saying goodbye to Dorne, Jaime and Myrcella have a
very candid conversation about their father/daughter
relationship. It seems strange that Jaime would admit openly to
Myrcella she's a product of incest. Before you have time to let
it sink it, the young princess begins bleeding before falling
down dead. She was poisoned.

HBO

This scene fell flat compared to the wows delivered throughout
the remaining of the episode.

Back in King's Landing, the Lannister family's troubles continue.
Cersei is punished by the Faith in a "walk of shame." The former
queen is forced to strip naked and walk from the Sept to the
castle, while commonfolk hurl both insults and bodily fluids at
her naked form. This scene clinched the Emmy for the "Outstanding
Makeup." No CGI or prosthetics were used. Just a
body double along with fantastic camera work and
directing.

The real gut-wrenching and powerful moment came from the final
ten minutes of "Mother's Mercy." Jon Snow, who spent most of
season five growing into a leader and opposing the threat of
the White Walkers, was tragically attacked by his Night's Watch
brothers. The scene was set up as a trap, to both the viewers and
Jon, as he's told that his missing Uncle Benjen has been found.

HBO

But Jon arrives outside to find a sign marked "traitor," and he
turns around as the first knife is stabbed into his stomach. Over
and over, the men take turns running Jon through with knives,
until he falls to his knees and onto the ground. The final scene
of "Mother's Mercy," was masterfully executed from the book
material. A haunting score, the "Stark theme," plays as the
camera slowly zooms into Jon's unseeing eyes. Blood pools around
him, and it seems as though our hero is really gone. (Many
believe otherwise, but that's a whole different story.)

It is clear why "Mother's Mercy" was so
heavily awarded this year. It is the first time an
episode of "Game of Thrones" won for writing and directing, which
feels overdue. The series has been going strong for five years,
with no signs of slowing down. "Mother's Mercy" encapsulated the
high levels of drama and character development fans have come to
expect. We can only wait and see what
showstopping episodes come in season six.